Bad Blood Bromance (on hiatus poss rewrite)
by werewolfbleu
Summary: Danny is a lovable scoundrel who takes on the universe by storm. However, his sense of honor passed down to him by the Yautja clan that raised him often conflicts with his massive ego in comedic ways. Like partnering with a Bad Blood, after said idjit blew up his ride. Note: Spinoff to Can I Keep Him? Story follows Danny and his adventures. Slow burn romance. Male human/Male Yautja
1. Chapter 1

**Ugly Blind Dates**

"Now I could leave you down there," I teased, giving the Bad Blood a cheeky grin and a salacious wink that earned me a dark, ominous growl. "And watch the scavengers peck out your eyes assuming there's anything left once the plant's had its fill of you."

The Yautja lunged for me, only encouraging the loving embrace of the creeping vines to tighten. I cocked my head, wondering if the Yautja had any idea the trouble he would be in if he kept squirming. Oh well.

Standing, I studied the partial scan I'd managed to collect before my vessel got blown to shit... Nina was so gonna kill me.

 **No bio match detected.**

 **No residual energy** **detected.**

 **Halo sweep incomplete. 40% surface scan corrupted.**

The useless information crawled across my HUD. "Fuck..." Somehow I resisted the urge to kick the Bad Blood's head in for putting the cherry on top of an already craptastic morning. _Cha! Morning?_ In truth, I couldn't even remember the last time I had a good laugh. _What's it been? Six months now?_ The day had started out bad enough having to pussyfoot around Kandari territory for what had to be the billionth time without learning a single damn thing, but now I was stuck until...

 _Huh, now there's an idea._ I smirked, and the continuous low growl the Yautja had been emitting deepened. Not that I blamed him. Me big scary ooman after all. _This is gonna be fun._

Amused, I walked a deliberately slow circle around the Yautja caught in the purple creeping Vinoske pit trap. Making sure my bio mask captured every hilarious detail because yeah, it was pretty fucking funny. Although to be fair, Vinoske Abrearia or as my sister liked to call 'em, the Handsy flytrap, were undetectable to the naked eye below the ground, and don't give off much heat unless they're in a particularly randy mood.

I crouched, "But the problem is you blew up my ride. So I'll make a deal with you. You give me a lift back to my clan, and I'll save your ass."

The hunter snarled, his thickly corded neck straining against the vines keeping him immobile. The purple spreading woody-stems drew my attention to the white of the Yautja's skin. _Interesting._ Curious, I leaned in for a closer examination. Not albino I realized as I noted possible darker tones hidden beneath the Handsy flytraps invasive embrace. Perhaps a recessive trait then.

My HUD flashed a warning.

 _Well, that was faster than expected._

Ignoring the prickle at the back of my neck, I blatantly stared into the opaque opti-shields of the Yautja's bio mask. After being raised by not one, but two dominate Yautja males who were both mated to my sister Nina, you'd think I would've learned a thing or two about the stupidity of looking a predator in the eye... you'd think. But there was something about this dudes behavior that was different from the typical dishonorable fucks I've dispatched in the past.

The Yautja stilled, belying the eager readiness I sensed. He thought I was challenging him. I was.

"Or," I double checked the proximity warning on my wrist unit, "I can let the Kandari slave traders deal with you. And lemme tell ya, they're none too happy we're here."

My eyes flicked over the hunter's bio mask, intrigued by its innovative design. Not that mine was standard either, my clan was a bit more progressive than most, a necessity because of the vulnerability of some of my hunt brothers human mates. Still, this kind of tech was rare. The Yaujta are a highly evolved species, yet you would never see a century old Yautja using technology this advanced. The older they get, the more primitive the weaponry and the gear. Keeps the hunt from getting dull. But this hunter wasn't young either if he were, then a slight such as meeting his eyes would've set him off, regardless of his current predicament.

The black fog of the opti-shields cleared away like thunderclouds moving over the horizon and left me staring into a pair of hostile blood orange orbs. Somehow I think I've made the wrong impression.

 _Why am I dicking around with this asshole?_

I sighed, "have it your way, Rice Ball." _Dammit, now I want onigiri mmmm with umeboshi._ "I'll be takin' your ship as compensation for the loss of mine."

The Yautja snarled and lunged. Surprising the shit out of me when two of the vines curled around his biceps snapped, the sound like distressed rope busting. The big one circling his chest frayed, and pressed deep into the thick muscle. Impressive. Very impressive. But also stupid. Afraid of losing its meal, the yellow bulbs growing at the ends of each of the vines began to blossom.

"Uh, you might wanna stop struggling. Inside those flowers are pithing thorns strong enough to pierce even a Tanazian's armored skull." On that note, I turned, giving him my back and as a final fuck you I tacked on oh-so-helpfully, "And they never miss their mark."

"Pauk'n ooman! Mo'ke ellos'de pay'ya-te kch-'cha'ku m-di di's'ke'i!"

 **Fucking human! You are nothing but a trophy that is yet to be cleaned!** I didn't need the translation, I've lived amongst the Yautja for nearly two hundred years. So I ignored the words crawling across the inside of my HUD and laughed.

"God, that felt good!" I stopped and shot him a smirk over my shoulder. "M-di. Ell se Danny. Thwei-pyode'e sa Osh'ikeille te Uzkielle. Te kainde-lou-dte'kalei k'cha'ku."

I reached inside the open face of my bio mask and swiped the sweat-soaked red hair adhered to my forehead away. The hunter fell silent. His gaze unreadable as he scrutinized the clan mark carved into the skin above my left brow. It proclaimed to all that I was blooded, and that I belonged to the Nracha Shur'ie clan or in human terms, the Relentless Storm.

Laughing, I flashed him some teeth as the blast shield of my helmet closed and frosted black; I cloaked, then slipped away in the sexiest boss ass exit ever.

 **No. I am Danny. Son of the Star Breaker and Heaven's Spite. And the slayer of queens...**

...

"Goddammit! Get outta my head woman!" Not Yautja. I was born human. I am human. But after being raised by the rigid bastards, I had my own code of honor that I followed... most days. The real fucked up part was that honored Yautja are hardwired to obey their own code as well as the ones passed down to them by their clan. Once you figured out said code, they can be pretty easy to manipulate. And _lucky_ me, my moral compass had the nagging voice of my sister.

"Nyyyyy."

The soft vocalization momentarily stalled my internal battle as my little companion popped out of the blood clot red ankle high shrubbery covering the planet.

"Jinx!"

"Ny, Ny, Ny," she sang happily. I bent down, and the alien feline that reminded me vaguely of a pygmy jackalope deftly leapt to my shoulder where she continued to sing and rub her head against the 3-day old stubble shadowing my neck. Her tiny brownish-red antlers scratching the exposed line of my jaw where the mask ended. "Where've you been?"

She sat up. Her wide seafoam green orbs crackling with intelligence and a hint of mischief.

"What did you do, neh?" I amended the question. A smile in my voice.

I checked the readouts from her personal evo-halo. The slim black band around her neck collected environmental data as well as kept tabs on my little friend. Jinx had a talent for finding things... usually trouble.

"Shit..." Like I said, trouble. Three klicks south of my position was a Kandari transport vessel. Though only nipple height to my studly 6'3", the Kandari were ruthless pack hunters with two different types of venom. One they could spit and blind you with, the other a deadly hemotoxin delivered by a zillion hypodermic needle teeth.

In the distance, the thunderous roar of one very pissed off Yautja had me taking an unconscious step back the way I came. I stopped. Confused as to why the hell I felt anything beyond annoyance. The asshole blew up my ship!

 _Bad Blood or not, he deserves a fighting chance, doesn't he?_

Once again the mental image of my sister with that know-it-all smile on her face invaded my headspace. _"I trust you, Danny. You've never allowed the bitterness from the biases against yourself or others to cloud your opinion. And you've always been able to see what others can't."_ She'd given me that speech back when I first brought Iziel'dor and his human mate Blake into our fold. Even when other members of our clan questioned my judgment, she didn't. For the most part, Bad Bloods were dishonorable scum, but there were a few exceptions. My hunt brother Iziel'dor was born with the stigma of a Bad Blood, yet time and again he proved that lineage meant diddly-damn-squat. The question was where did this guy stand?

 _At the very least, I should mercy kill him._

Was I seriously considering this?

"Fuck me..."

* * *

 **A/N: For those of you who haven't read Can I Keep Him? you might be a little lost at first since this is a spinoff,** **but I will fill you in along the way.** **Opening chapter's mostly a teaser ;D Please be sure to hit the pretty blue review button. Thanx for reading :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Show Me Your Moves**

Have I mentioned how I hate pussyfooting around? Oh, good. Then it'll come as _no_ surprise to anyone, least of all my sister when she watches the replay (chuckles), I could practically hear her exasperated groan as I prowled (sounds way sexier than pussyfooting) my way behind the Yautja. Unsurprisingly, the Bad Blood sensed my approach. I doubted he could see or even hear me, but the subtlest shift of his shoulder blades said he knew I was practically right on top of him.

The Kandari, however, were too excited by the astronomically rare opportunity to capture a live Yautja, a gift-wrapped one no less, and never even paused in their mind-numbingly high-pitched squabble when I stopped right in front of them. Sure I had the advantage of the cloak, and I'd stayed downwind, but this was just sad. The Kandari have poor hearing (probably due to their sassy-girl shrieky voices), and while my suit conceals my body heat I wasn't completely buttoned up, so they should've detected the minute traces with the loreal pits in their square stubby snouts. Not to mention the Kandari also have excellent chemical receptors in the roofs of their mouths and honestly should've been able to taste me a mile away. In a way, I was kind of offended. I taste _awesome_! And anyone who's ever had the pleasure of taking a bite outta me will attest to that!

 _Damn. Sometimes it's a curse to be this good._

And just as the mental fist bump crossed my mind, the Kandari snapped to attention as one and stared at the space behind the Yautja.

Dropping the cloak, because really I should give them a fair chance to at least try and kill me, I stooped behind the Yautja. His head tilted back, opaque opti-shields hollow yet somehow hateful. "Sooo-" Startled and enraged, the Kandari finally reacted. I knocked away a bang-spear, the charged blade singing as I deflected the strike with my left forearm. The cybernetic appendage absorbed the shock and stored it. When the spear came at me again, I grabbed it and held it captive with ease as the ugly lizard hissed and tried to yank it back. "Cha," I snorted. Still holding the spear, I leaned forward into the trapped hunter's space. "So are you white _all_ over?"

Low guttural hostility curled in his throat, and I could visibly see the control it took for him not to go for my throat. The flowers at the ends of the vines had completely blossomed, one wrong move and he'd be fertilizer.

Laughing, I jerked the Kandari forward by his spear, yanking him off his feet, and returned the power of his bang-spear with a little extra incentive not to fuck with me. The woody snap of ribs breaking brought a pleased smile to my face before the force sent the lizard flying.

Hissing and spitting venom, the other four attacked as one. I leapt in front of the Bad Blood hoping my gut wasn't wrong about him. The fluid metallic scales of my armor flowed over the remaining exposed parts of my neck and arms. Protected by my suit, the venom was burned off by waves of kinetic energy. Breathable and lightweight, the jet black armor fit me like a second skin, and bonus, it made me OP as _shit_.

"Hey, Rice Ball!" I grabbed a lizard mid-lunge and threw him over my shoulder. If the Yautja said anything I couldn't hear it amidst the screeching and hissing of the frenzied Kandari, but I felt his attention on my back all the same. "Tell me-" One of the lizards lept onto my back and started clawing at my bio mask. I threw him off with a heated snarl. "-are you a dishonorable fuck like the rest of your lot?!" Somehow I managed to meet the hollows of his mask from over my shoulder. "Because if you are, I'll kill you regardless!"

"No... death before di _sss_ honor."

He didn't even hesitate. And the gravity of his words struck me. The memory of a distant past when I almost lost a father for the second time. Osh'ikeille, one of my sister's two mates' who had a hand in raising me, had said the very same thing to her when Cetanu sought to take him during a battle for Earth.

 _Third time..._

Rage stole over me like the black plague at the reminder.

 _Six months... six months of this shit and still nothing!_

I shook it off. Or tried too. Kind of hard to shake the anger when the entire reason I was on this miserable fucking planet was to look for clues, only to have my ship blown up by the asshole I was saving!

"Oi! Rice Ball!" I dodged the lethal whip tail of a lizard. What the Kandari lacked in physical strength they made up for in persistence. And they were really, really, fucking persistent. 'Course the exception to their strength was their tails. One true blow from that appendage and it was all over. "So here's the secret! If you want the plant to let you go then you're gonna have to pee on it!"

I dunno why I decided to trust him. Could've been the blatant honesty in his steel-edged voice. Or it could've been the fact that no actual Bad Blood would've bothered to learn another language since their only goal was to kill and conquer. What I did know was that the string of profanities that he spewed forth after hearing my advice was like sweet nothings to my ears and inconceivably left my heart feeling lighter than it had in months.

"I can pee on it for ya?" The mischievous sing-songy lilt to my words must've given me away because more sweet nothings followed until I was roaring with laughter. Hey, I said I trusted him I didn't say I wouldn't fuck with his head.

I built a charge in my shoulder and rammed into two of the lizards desperately trying to skewer me. It knocked them back by several feet, giving me a free second to whistle for my friend. "Now, Jinx!"

"Ny!" Jinx sprang out of the clot-red shrubbery. The Bad Blood snarled as she used his dome like a springboard, and vaulted onto the closest Kandarian. Quick as a xeno, she bounced from lizard to lizard, planting a tiny HORNET charge on each of them before coming to perch on my shoulder. "Ny! Ny! Ny!"

The comp built into my cybernetic arm woke up as I turned my wrist over, a cute little hornet symbol blinking in the corner. I gave the nearest lizard a smug smile he couldn't see and tapped the icon. The overload charge chained through each HORNET, knocking out their lights permanently. Cold? Maybe. But why show mercy where there is none. The Kandari are slave traders, so I didn't feel an ounce of sympathy as I walked away.

I crouched behind the Bad Blood. With a warning growl in his throat, he tilted his head to see what I was up to. "Chill," I snorted and closed my cybernetic hand over the blossom aiming its pithing barb at the exposed column of his neck. A black stripe bleeding into dark red then burning to orange before fading into the white of his skin peeked out from under the vine here, and I briefly wondered if he was from one the ancient clans like my adopted siblings. The fluid scales protecting my right hand receded and my bare fingers ghosted over the markings. His growl darkened, and I grabbed the vine at his shoulders. Touchy, bastard. Then again most Yautja are... unless they're mated. And that's a whole different beast to contend with. "So for future reference," I retrieved a small vile from my shoulder rig, "never come to Tassix 9 without honey. It's like a drug to these things."

The amber liquid sluggishly dripped into the open blossom, and the reaction was almost instant. The great vines shuddered and relaxed reminding me of my own euphoric release after being deep throated by that Kayzar last week. Lucky plant. _Lux! No, wait... Stix? Damn, he was a good lay! What the hell was his name?!_

I shouldn't have lingered, but I was too damn fascinated by the V-shaped bands running the length of his spine. The "fuck me" I uttered barely passed my lips as the Yautja spun and seized my throat. I'd sensed his intention but didn't have his speed to react in time. The vines rolled off of him like satisfied fat kittens after a saucer of milk, and he rose up out of the pit all the while keeping me aloft one-handed.

I grabbed his forearm. Jinx stood up on my shoulder and hissed. Her silvery scales bristling in the same manner as fur.

 _Weird. Nina didn't find the pee joke funny either._

The black frost of my face shield melted away. And the hollows in his mask did the same. We stared at one another. I didn't think I was wrong. The hard blood orange orbs boring into me were scrutinizing, not challenging as if he had no idea what to do next. In short, the Yautja are kind of egotistical megalomaniacs. Translation he was butthurt that I'd saved his bacon. A _human_ no less and that had to sting. He wouldn't kill me, but the desire to was threatening to cut off my air. 'Course if I challenged him or became a threat then all bets were off.

I widened my eyes innocently. He narrowed his.

 _Damn. Why does that only work when women do it?_

I dropped the puppy act, but not his gaze. Daring to play the game my sister incessantly warned me against playing. There's a delicate balance between blatantly challenging a Yautja's honor or simply letting said Yautja know you respect him. A line I've learned to tred very very well. "You owe me."

An answering growl reverberated in his chest, it traveled down his arm and vibrated my bones. He flexed his strength giving me the impression he wanted to make it perfectly clear he could kill me. Slowly my heals eventually joined my toes on the ground. He didn't release me right away, holding on a bit longer than necessary to get the point across.

I stretched out an arm, and his growl deepened at the movement. A talon pressed into my jugular vein, and I rolled my eyes. Paranoid fucker.

"Dude," I held up a hand placatingly. "Calm your tits." Taking care not to startle the twitchy fuck again, I stretched up on the balls of my feet and casually plucked the HORNET charge from his bio mask then silently laughed at the bemused tilt of his head when I held it up for him to see. He cast a dark glower at Jinx. Unaffected by his scorn, Jinx continued to hiss at the Yautja who had yet to release me.

An earth-shaking bellow carried on the back of the wind over the empty crimson moors brought all our heads up. The mournful noise was joined by another from the opposite direction. Then another.

"Ah, great," I moaned.

 _Thought it was weird that there were only four of 'em._

I met the Bad Blood's gaze, "They brought Reav Trolls."

In the distance, the rest of the pack converged on us. The hand at my throat disappeared, and the hunter and I shared one of those looks were no words are needed. The enemy of my enemy and all that. Without thought, we found ourselves back to back as if we'd shared blood and sweat several lifetimes together. Instinct at its most primal forging a trust between us I've never known beyond my own sister and fathers'. It was... natural.

The blade of his shoulder grazed the back of my head, and I couldn't help but think how sad it was that my own brother would never stand next to me in battle the way the Bad Blood was right now.

"Oi, Rice Ball."

He grunted in response, neither of us taking our eyes off the advancing pack of Kandari and their pets.

Mercy, my sling sword, unfolded with a flick of my wrist. "Show me your moves."

The heavy thrum of his laughter had me grinning, my pulse slamming in an echo of his excitement.

"Trrry to keep up, ooman."

I laughed and god it felt good...

* * *

 **A/N: Holy shiiit! XD The response for this story has got me psyched! You guys keep loving it, and I'll keep writing it! Thanx, everyone! To save space, I'm going to "attempt" to keep responses short. Also, it should be noted I won't reveal story details no matter how pretty you ask ;D**

 **V!: Thanx, Besty! Such a relief that I pulled off adult Danny :D**

 **guadadominguez4: Aw-shucks *blushes* Thanx! You're awesome too!**

 **TigrisRawr: Lol! Thanx, girl! Hehe I'm glad you're diggin' Danny's bad boy tude ;D**

 **Haylz93: And I'm excited that you're excited! Seriously pumped here XD Lol, I'll reveal a bit more about their first encounter later ;)**

 **thefightingbull: Eeee! I'm so pleased you're following this story too! Thank you so much for the love :)**

 **Guest: Thanks, avid reader! Haha! :D**

 **angel897: Hi, angel! I'm so happy you like the start of Danny's story :D Thanx!**

 **Mariah: Thanx for reading. :)**

 **Tenfangirl: Lol, right?! Hehe perhaps even a bit more of a devil now ;D Thanx lovely!**

 **Valconwing: Awe! You're so sweet! I heart your review! *smiling with pride* :)**

 **Camui-Alexa: Thank you! I'm really trying to give this story my all! Lol, I give nothing away ;D I promise eventually all your questions will be answered as the story progresses. Even the ones in the previous story :) Oh! And congrats on the new job!**

 **Guest 2: Haha! I'm pleased you like how Danny turned out as an adult. As for the Bad Blood, you'll find out as the story goes on ;D Thanx!**

 **sousie: Lol, I know she would XD She'd probably laugh herself sick if she knew! Thanx, sousie!**

 **Xx15PinstripesxX: Lol, no prob! So happy you like adult Danny! Thanx for the love! :D**

 **Andrea: Awe, thank you! Your review had me smiling big time :D**

 **Arbitrator11: Lol, thanx! I'm gonna give this story my all :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Red Spectre**

Humans are complex creatures ruled by whatever swayed them in the moment, but none have ever been more confounding than the male Auktano was observing now. The third, fourth, and fifth lumbar, as well as the first and second of the cervical vertebrae were all cybernetic in origin, the same as his left forearm and hand. The difference being that the internal support structure of the column and the essential parts such as ligaments, cartilage, muscle, and bone were fully integrated giving the human better support and range of motion. They were replacement parts meant to keep him whole and alive. The artificial limb was not. It was a weapon.

 _"M-di. Ell se Danny. Thwei-pyode'e sa Osh'ikeille te Uzkielle. Te kainde-lou-dte'kalei k'cha'ku."_

A slayer of queens, perhaps that was how he'd lost the arm. Auktano continued his unabashed perusal of the male reclining in _his_ piloting chair and reflected on the previous day and the way they seamlessly dispatched wave after wave of the Kandari together.

"Reav trolls are worth at least three!" Danny had shouted at him. The arrogant edge of laughter in his tone still fresh in Auktano's mind. He thought about the challenge and how the human's boldness had both excited and irked him, transforming a battle of survival into a game. A game that pleased the predator greatly even though he knew the cunning human had been manipulating him.

"Would you like me to strip?"

The amused rumble diverted Auktano's attention from the bio overlay of the male's physical breakdown to the human himself. Danny reached up and grabbed his helmet, the nanite scales protecting the back of his head and creating a sealed environment collapsed in on themselves, rearranging until what remained was a traditional Yautja bio mask. He pulled it away and shook his head with a satisfied sound.

Setting the bioscan to run in the background, Auktano switched filters and considered the clan mark partially hidden beneath sweat dampened hair. Red hair. Auktano had identified this male the moment he laid eyes on him back on Tassix 9. The hunter had seen him without his bio mask, and there was no mistaking the Red Spectre. A human whose aptitude for hunting dishonored Yautja had made him something of a legend amongst the clans. But the clan mark had been an unforeseeable nuisance, forcing Auktano to consider the fallout of his decision to engage this human. So little was understood about the Red Spectre that had Auktano known he was kin to the Nracha Shur'ie clan he wouldn't've pursued him further. But he had. And undoubtedly irreversible consequences would follow. Auktano found this train of thought pointless. What was done was done.

A surge of readiness corded the hunter's muscles as Danny suddenly inclined his head and bared his teeth.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," he purred, chuckling when the hunter cocked his head. Auktano caught on as the human returned his attention to his bio mask. He relaxed, understanding though not amused that the human was poking fun at his imperception. Human's were more expressive with their facial cues than the Yautja. A human baring their teeth could be interpreted in many different ways, but to a Yautja it was meant and met with hostile intent.

The Red Spectre rubbed a hand down his face, drawing Auktano's gaze to a scar cutting a path from under the left eye down through the dark red facial hair and over the sharp edge of his jaw to his throat. A subtle clenching of his teeth caused the lines of muscle in his neck and face to jump belying the playful banter in his deep voice Auktano had heard only seconds ago. Brow rigid and green eyes far away, he found it strange that the human could be so at ease in his presence that he would allow himself to get distracted.

A dull yellow symbol winked in his periphery. He brought the filter to the forefront. The bio scanner automatically adjusted parameters and highlighted an anomaly in the human's vascular system. Auktano's brow ridge drew taut at the revelation. He felt unexpectedly and strangely distraught to see a hunter whose prowess earned him such a formidable name to be humbled this way. The Red Spectre, bane of the scorn born, was dying.

 **Danny**

Ignoring the Rice Ball's growl of annoyance, I kicked my feet up on the console and took the liberty of downloading his vessels data core to my wrist unit. I was curious. A Yautja's ship is part of him or her, and you can learn a great deal about how a particular individual thinks and hunts just by standing in the cockpit if they're inclined to let you. However, no Yautja ship was this advanced nor did it share the same base structure all Yautja ships require. The corridors of this vessel were almost too narrow to walk side by side and the Rice Ball was forced to duck through doors... yeah, the Yautja don't go out of their way when it comes to comfort, but they need space. A _lot_ of space. This ship was like one of those ridiculous clown cars I used to see as a kid. Funny but even I was feeling cramped. And I wasn't familiar with the technology either. Its sleek design could've been Kayzar, except they're just as paranoid about their tech falling into the wrong hands as the Yautja. And for good reason, lest you want your enemies to figure out how to rip you apart from the inside out.

The console chirped a warning at my intrusion, but weirdly the Rice Ball merely disregarded the alert. I'd done it on purpose. Curious what he would do. His calm reaction surprised me. Any other Yautja would've considered the invasion a breach of implied respect and would've wrung my neck. Hell, even Orukia possibly one of the most even-tempered Yautja I've ever known would've handed me my ass for sitting in his piloting chair. It was one of those big red no-no buttons, you know the ones that beg to be pushed. Strange. Very strange.

A yellow icon flashed in the corner of my comp. I rolled my eyes. Okay, not so strange. "Did you just back hack me and send me down a rabbit hole? That wasn't very nice of you, Rice Ball."

"You mi _sss_ take my honor bound compliance for equanimity."

I smirked at the not so subtle warning and gave a curt drop of my chin out of respect. Sighing, I could've drained his memory banks without his knowledge, but I got the sense that this guy would level with me if I was direct. I'd leave the snooping up to Jinx, she was better at it anyway. Plus if I got caught, I really didn't want to have to kill him. The Bad Blood's unusual behavior was entertaining, but if I were honest with myself, what ignited my intrigue was the way he had my back during that fight on Tassix 9...

 **Shield at 11%.**

 _Helpful! Cuz you know stating the fucking obvious is always necessary after a thorough beatdown by a creature out of a fairytale!_

A troll charged me as if it had a bee stuck up its ginormous blue ass and would've flattened me had I not caught a ride on the back of another troll that was playing ring around the rosie with Jinx. The sly little kit was giving the poor troll a hell of a time, and it didn't even notice me until I dug the hidden blades in the toes of boots into its meaty backside and held on for dear life as it tried to throw me off like an enraged bull.

It snarled and wailed, and grabbed at me with all four of its huge hands each one big enough to crush my skull regardless of my shield if it got the chance and that would be just tragic. My face is the best part! Okay, maybe not the _best_ part, but at least the best looking... damn. It's a toss-up. And along with every other piece of me, it was sculpted perfection. Hell, Cetanu himself would weep at the loss.

The bleating behemoth struggled and thrashed, throwing Kandari hunters around like a pissed off toddler in a tantrum. The Kandari hissed and thrust their bang spears at me while simultaneously trying to stay out of the troll's path. A charged edge sparked blue and crackled as it skimmed the shield at my shoulder. I grabbed the control ring partially embedded into the thick skin of the troll's neck and drove the repercussion charge directly into the back of its skull.

Derailed by the burst of what had to be pure agony, the troll pivoted to sharply and the momentum threw me to the ground. "Fuck me," I wheezed.

 **Shield at 3%.**

 _Seriously?! Not helpful!_

A big blue body eclipsed the sun. My eyes widened. Wailing in fury, the troll rose up on its knees, lifted all four of its fisted hands, and I had half a second to think _Oh shit_ when the things head exploded in a fantastic cinematography worthy shower of gore. And in the midst of being pelted by dark green blood and heavier organic bits, I managed to roll out the way of the corpse, pull the red barreled Atrox from its holster and take aim.

"Down!" I shouted.

The Rice Ball spun and executed some crazy ass midair pirouette dodge thing. I fired twice, and the other troll collapsed with a gurgling groan.

Rice Ball looked from the downed troll to me... I've replayed that moment in my head a thousand times and still didn't understand. Trust is earned, yet I'd given it to him freely and he to me. And the fluidity in the way that we moved as one... I found the experience unsettling. Not the part about fighting side by side that had been awesome, but my autonomic reaction to trust him without hesitation. That's what unsettled me.

"Why were you on Tassix 9?" I asked abruptly. The question has been stewing in the back of my mind since I first ran into the big bastard. There was no reason for him to be there, and aside from the carnivorous plants that can survive for years off of one unlucky idiot, the planet itself was nearly barren.

In the brief pause that followed, the hunter removed his bio mask. No cause for alarm, no threat, but for some inexplicable reason my pulse jumped, and suddenly I was a kid again. I still remember the first time I met Osh'ikeille and Uzkielle and thought how "totally wicked" it was that I'd stumbled upon aliens. But after a couple hundred years the excitement begins to fade, every new species slightly less awesome than the last. No, I'm not jaded, its just time has eroded my way of looking at things. I've been alive for over two centuries, and while I still look and feel like a roguish thirty-something of Irish descent, my soul feels the weight of those years every-single-day. In that time, I've watched a lot of friends wither and die or get ripped away by Cetanu in their prime. 'Course many of those friends were pets, but you get the idea. Huh, maybe I was jaded.

 _"Can I keep him, sis?"_

The memory and the feverish exhilaration of those five words that started this journey all those years ago came flooding back. The Bad Blood shook his head, tossing his thick mane of dark red dreads over his broad shoulders. Rank rings jingling almost inaudibly at the movement. Like all Yautja, he had the typical mandibles armed with tusks at the ends, except he had a dual set of tusks beneath the lower mandibles. However, aside from my sister (the adopted and cute one, not my mononoke blood sister), I've never seen a Yautja with such striking ancestral traits. Black cherry red and burnt orange bands created an intricate labyrinth across his brow ridge then bled into the white areas around his forehead. The sharp V-shaped stripes running down his spine weren't present on his bare, bone white chest but they did cut a path along the outside of his arms and legs, the burnt orange and black slashes accentuating the depth of his muscle.

 _Pretty fucker._

I chuckled at the unamused narrowing of his blood orange orbs. Apparently, my wandering gaze had overstayed its welcome.

The Rice Ball summoned a holographic interface, its crimson glow unveiling a network of scars across his pale chest I hadn't noticed before. I frowned. Looked away. Anger beat within in my heart so hard it hurt. Those weren't scars from a fight or hunt, those were subjugation strikes. My adopted siblings had a few of those too. A Bad Blood clan had wiped out their tribe, a tribe who chose to live the way their ancestors once did, so they didn't have the technology or the numbers to fight back. Kidnapped, their kin massacred, the Bad Bloods had taken them in order to add their unique genetic markings to the gene pool. They'd been young at the time, but they were Yautja so they fought back and they paid dearly for it. My gut had been right about him, yet it was a hollow victory when I considered the life he'd been forced to live.

"I _sss_ uspect to kill Cetanu's envoy," he rumbled darkly. " _Sss_ pectre, this _ss_ you should see."

I blinked. Lost in the past, remembering when I wasted the fucker who'd hurt my younger siblings and slaughtered their kin, I'd forgotten about the question I'd asked. Moreover, I'd forgotten where I was and the company I kept. An error in judgment I realized as images of Asteria, my clans' homeworld, flit across the viewer as well as a scattering of data on _my_ pack mates. But when my sister Nina appeared, caught unawares in a private moment of weakness, the bizarre tug of kinship I briefly felt for this Bad Blood was cleansed by a black haze.

The Atrox was in my hand. This asshole knew my sister; knew that right now she was at her most vulnerable. Adrenaline yanked me to my feet, and I whirled. But the Bad Blood must've anticipated my reaction, and he moved on pure instinct unmuddied by emotion making him a touch faster.

The hunter shut me down and crushed me to the console with his superior strength. My cybernetic arm got locked behind me. Shit! He grabbed my wrist and slammed my hand against the unforgiving surface, but I refused to let go of the Atrox. Face taut, mandibles quivering around a low growl, he squeezed until the bones in my wrist ground together, and I thought it would break. I forfeited the gun.

"Gkei, Wei Bhu'ja," he said in a tone so controlled it slid down my spine like ice. The immense pressure of his hand on my chest doubled. An incentive to keep me from doing anything stupid. Well, more stupid. Fuck me. What the hell had I been thinking?

The unchecked rage subsided, and I got bitch slapped by a startling realization. _"Easy, Red Spectre,"_ he'd said. This guy knew who I was. Not just Danny of the Nracha Shur'ie clan, but that I was the so-called Red Spectre. _Cha! Makes me sound like a fucking Bond villain. Not that anyone would get that reference nowadays._ In essence, I was the Boogeyman of the dishonored. So why the fuck did I get the sense that this guy was going out of his way _not_ to kill me at every turn? He sure as shit could've waited to blow my vessel when I was on it. And again, he could've killed me when the blast left me disoriented. Instead, he waited until I got my bearings then proceeded to give chase in a way that was a clear contradiction of his abilities. Case in point, I gave an experimental tug, but the dude's fingers were bands of iron. Sighing, I dropped my head letting it smack the console.

"So this is fun. Care to tell me what the fuck is going on?" The growl in my voice was more of a wheeze thanks to the lack of air. His blood orange orbs narrowed at the sound, and the pressure on my chest eased minutely.

The Rice Ball leaned over me, tusks inches from my face. "'Twas a _sss_ et up."

I frowned. "Set up?" Naturally, I tried to straighten, but the Rice Ball wasn't budging. I guess I'd be a bit paranoid about letting me up too. Or maybe he just liked the feel. Couldn't fault him for that. I'm pretty, so I'm good at playing the cliche female roles. Like being bodily caged by the big misunderstood menacing brute. Crap, I've become my sister. "Dude. Not that I mind being bent over with an angry redhead on top of me, but the console is starting to chaf-"

"Danny!"

My eyes went wide and my ass started to sweat. I rolled my head back as far as I could manage, ignoring the way the Rice Ball's lower tusks graze my skin. Yes, exposing my throat to him was dumb but there are certain things much much much MUCH scarier than the threat of the predator above me. On the main screen, and upside-down, a woman with a mostly shaved head, a hot pink topknot, and steel grey eyes sharp enough to etch glass glared at me.

"Zelda?!" I stared in stark bewilderment and horror. The woman was scary. Don't let her adorable half Korean angelic features and tiny frame fool you. The woman was a BEAST! Mated to Orukia, one of the higher ranking Yautja in our clan, Zelda was in charge of running special ops and had a disturbing affinity for espionage.

Her grey eyes cut to the Rice Ball. "Auktano, what happened? Why is Danny with you?"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Hold up!" I called a timeout. "What am _I_ doing here? What are you doing? You know this Rice Ball?"

Zelda snorted, "His name is Auktano, Danny. And yes." She smiled in that way all women do when they're about to enlighten your ass and make it burn. "Auktano is one of mine..."

* * *

 **A/N: Hehe, Zelda's not the only one dropping bombs, neh? Damn, I should've made Auktano's final remark the cliffhanger! XD Yes, I know I'm leaving you guys with more questions than answers, but I promise all will be revealed as time moves forward.**

 **Vakrian: Not a full-on fight. I wanted cutscenes for this particular chapter. Haha, I wish I could see your facial expression when Zelda dropped that bomb! XD**

 **guadadominguez4: Lol, no prob ;D Thanx for the love!**

 **thefightingbull: Bwahahahaha! I loved your review. I'm still smiling and I read it over a week ago! XD LMAO! I bet Zelda's bomb is killing you! Lol, Uz is my favorite too. Thanx so much for the love!**

 **Curlyshy123: So he's around 230 and I promise I'll go into detail later. Thanx so much for the love! :D**

 **sousie: You're amazing too! Thanx! :D**

 **Tenfangirl: Yay! That makes me incredibly happy! I'll try my best to do ya proud, mama! ;D**

 **Haylz93: Haha XD He rocks my socks too! You read my mind! I've known his name for a while, so I was happy I got to add it to this chapter. More on his brother soon. Promise. Thanx ;)**

 **TigrisRawr: Lol, I promise you'll understand that tidbit about Danny's brother real soon *wink wink*. Stay awesome, TigrisRawr! Thanx so much for the love and support! :D**

 **angel897: So I stink at 3rd person, but I hope you enjoyed reading from the Bad Blood's pov. :) Thanx!**

 **Valconwing: Awe, thank you! Your review had me smiling big time! Not a full-on fight. I wanted cutscenes for this chapter. And I think Auktano surprised the shit outta him XD**

 **Xx15PinstripesxX: Lol, not at all. Glad you like it so far. Thanx! :)**

 **mariah: Lol, glad you enjoyed. Thanx :)**

 **sexyshewolf: Thanx! I'm so excited that you like it XD**

 **Dtio: No prob! Thanx :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Once We Were Brothers**

"And here I thought we had something special, Rice Ball..."

Auktano ignored the human's bizarre rant. The hunter had only ever met a few humans in his lifetime, all of them dead now aside from Zelda, but he'd never known one to talk so much. The ceaseless chatter rolled off of him as he surveyed the natural gleaming spires of Asteria. He'd never been here before. Uzkielle had warned him against it. Not because he hadn't trusted Auktano but because Uzkielle wanted him to maintain his anonymity. But his situation had changed. Someone had set him up to kill the Red Spectre, so there was no need for secrecy anymore.

He gave Danny, who was still whining at him, a cursory glance from beneath his brow ridge. The raving continued, only now he seemed to be stuck in a loop about Zelda, and how all the females in his life were incredibly violent. However, the humor and obvious affection in his wide expressive eyes contradicted his vexed tone. Auktano looked away, undecided whether or not the radical turn of events was an inconvenience to him.

Naturally formed metal columns shimmered in the light of Asteria's three moons. Chirps and calls of nocturnal animals the hunter had never heard before stirred his curiosity, but he could not allow himself to become distracted. Auktano anticipated resistance from the clan and stayed alert. His background made him a target, and he was openly walking into the territory of a clan that was both forsaken and revered. Not all of the honored clans were happy about the Nracha Shur'ie, in fact, most of them considered the Nracha Shur'ie to be a blight on Yautja tradition. Having been forced to live outside of orthodox Yautja culture and customs, Auktano wouldn't pretend to understand their way of life, but he honestly couldn't've cared less.

"... only it turns out we're being set up to kill one another! Oi, Rice Ball are you listening?"

The hunter glanced down at Danny finding it somewhat amusing that he had his hands folded behind his head in an open, relaxed posture. This human seemed strangely at ease in his presence. Then again, Auktano wasn't bothered by his either.

"M-di," he looked away.

"Asshole," Danny grumbled.

Auktano's mandibles twitched, he'd quickly discerned that thus far he'd only seen one side of this male. Mischievous, cunning, and calm under pressure this was Danny of the Nracha Shur'ie clan. He had yet to see the envoy of death in action and how he came to be the Red Spectre. When Danny attacked him in the cockpit, it had been an act of pure desperation. An exhausted animal pushed to its limit and cornered. The hunter's brow ridge drew down as he considered his own reaction in that moment... why hadn't he killed him? Regardless of the human's state of mind, he'd broken their unspoken truce. Auktano abandoned his musings as he and Danny ascended the steps leading to the ancient palladium halls of Asteria.

A wave of tension brought his gaze back to his suddenly silent companion. He took it as an indication of possible danger and readiness threaded his muscles tight.

"Ny." Danny's small silvery pet sang in a way that sounded irate to the hunter. She stood on her master's shoulder, her tall ears perked and eyes alert.

Stepping into a vast circular chamber, Auktano vaguely wondered about the hierarchy of the clan when he spotted the cause of Danny's frosty disposition. A young dark blue Yautja male with distinctive yellow facial markings stepped into their path. Given his upbringing, Auktano was not surprised by the open hostility in the other male's orange orbs and had he not been standing in the heart of a powerful clan's territory he would've ripped the respect right out of the foolish male's chest. But Auktano would not draw first blood unless it became necessary and part of him hoped that it would.

"Easy," Danny said to him. "He wants you to attack him."

Auktano said nothing. He was already well aware of the other male's intentions. Because he was one of the dishonored, the same leniencies did not apply. If he attacked first, then his life was forfeit regardless of the truce he held with Danny and Zelda.

"Ry'kar, I swore an oath. If you force my hand, it will be open season on your ass."

The one called Ry'kar turned to Danny, and he didn't bother masking his disapproval of him either. Auktano fought a sudden thirst for blood. His patience all but gone. A firm hand gripped his forearm. The touch made his whole body tense, and when he glared down at the human next to him, he caught a glimpse of the Red Spectre peeking out of Danny's eyes.

"He is Bad Blood!" Ry'kar spat the words as if they were venom.

"He is one of ours!"

Auktano subtly shifted his stance forward, ready for the attack.

"Danny?" A feminine voice echoed from beyond the passage Ry'kar was guarding. The change was instant. Life returned in the vacant green depths of Danny's orbs, and he walled the tension behind a grin as a human female of dual heritage approached Ry'kar from behind. The same female who's photo triggered Danny's attack.

"Neens!"

Auktano followed Danny with his eyes. He noticed Ry'kar doing the same and how he seemed to grow even more agitated at Danny's nearness to the one called Neens. Danny swept the small female into his arms. He pulled away from her a second later just enough to touch his forehead to hers. Auktano cocked his head at the strange affectionate gesture. Was she his mate? He'd known about this clan's taboo culture, but nothing about their customs.

Another Yautja appeared, a towering female with the same markings and blue skin as the male. Siblings perhaps. She leaned down and touched her forehead to Danny's as well, and Auktano realized that this was their way of greeting one another. When the Yautja female pulled away, Auktano didn't miss the warning glare she speared both Ry'kar and Danny with.

Auktano passively observed the silent exchange until awareness directed his attention elsewhere. The human female was staring at him with a meaningful gleam in her green eyes he could not decipher. He clicked his tusks. Conflicted as he warred between the natural desire to bare his teeth and another he didn't have a name for, but when she suddenly gave him a nod of respect, all at once, he understood what his instincts had been trying to tell him. She was the matriarch of the Nracha Shur'ie clan, the slayer of the World Eater...

 **Danny**

My sister giggled as I rubbed my chin on the crown of her head. She pulled away, and I tightened my hold not wanting to let go. She'd lost weight again. I could feel the shift of each rib as she drew in a breath. As the only human matriarch... er, perhaps half human would be more accurate, of a predominantly Yautja clan she was extremely strong. But the past six months had taken its toll, and I thought she'd fade away into the morning mist if I released her.

"Danny..." she grumbled.

Her hip length chestnut-red hair lifted as she built a static charge so that it shocked me everytime I rubbed my face in it. I ignored the little stings. Laughing when she growled as I continued to purposely run my scratchy beard against her scalp. I've been zapped so many times over the years that I've become immune... well, except for when she gets mad. Although admittedly sometimes it's funny when she releases the full storm because she looks like one of those insane anime characters I used to wanna be as a kid.

"Ny, ny, ny!" Jinx keened happily as the little bursts of electricity tickled her nose. Her scales gave her natural immunity to my sister's power. Lucky, kit.

"Danny! What are you doing?"

"I'm like a clownfish, Neens. I have to love _all_ over you in order to tolerate you."

She sighed, and I could practically hear her eyeballs rolling in their sockets. "More like the unseemly hump-happy dog."

"Wow," I eased up enough for her to lean back in my arms. "Sooo hateful! But truthful." I conceded with a cheeky grin. My sister's soft laughter momentarily lifted the ever-present burden I carried in my heart. She was happy. But no matter how hard she tried to hide it, the grief still dulled her emerald irises, and the ache returned full force.

Smiling she touched the scratchy stubble along my jaw. "You look like a bloody pirate."

"A sexy pirate."

She chuckled, "You're incorrigible."

"And you love it."

"Loving you makes us all ever suffering saints," Zelda said as she swept into the chamber. Her Asian features sharp but her grey eyes soft with good humor.

"ZZ don't hate just cuz you're short one penis in order to ride."

Nina gave me a reprimanding slap on the back of the head.

"Try adulting, Danny."

"It's not in my repertoire," I laughed, rubbing the sore spot where she'd smacked me.

Zelda turned her attention to the Rice Ball. The Bad Blood/double agent gave off an air of disinterest at our antics, yet there wasn't a doubt in my mind that he was analyzing our behavior.

Zelda gave me an expectant look. Right. As much as I hated it, we had to talk business. Some seriously strange shit was happening, and Nina needed to be brought up to speed. The atmosphere grew heavy, the humor evaporating, and I inwardly cursed as Nina's smile turned watery. Grief and the pain of losing Uzkielle darkened her eyes, and for just a second my soul reflected the hole in hers. She shook her head, took a deep breath and suddenly she was the matriarch again. Protecting the clan came first.

"As I said, Auktano is one of mine." She eyed me cooly, "When you brought in Iziel'dor, a born Bad Blood, you opened my eyes to new possibilities as far as protecting our clan and our matriarch. Nina's life has always been under constant threat but never anything we couldn't handle. However, whispers have touched the ears of my operatives that something bad is coming. I don't know what it is yet but I will." She glanced at the Rice Ball, "We needed a way to survey our enemy from the inside. Sending in Iziel'dor was out of the question. Bringing him into our clan, protecting him as ours created new tension between ourselves and the honored clans." She shook her head, "I wasn't about to send him to his death. I met Auktano through Uzkielle. Uzkielle trusted him so I knew I could as well. For two years Auktano has kept an eye on a couple of the more audacious Bad Blood clans." Her eyes abruptly cut to me, "'Course none of that matters now. If you were both set up to kill one another, then its obvious someone knows he's one of ours. What happened on Tassix 9?"

 _Through Uzkielle?_

I gave her a quick rundown of our epic battle, and how I saved the Rice Ball's ass from being eaten. The Rice Ball said nothing, though the glare he shot me was adorable.

"Auktano was investigating a lead." She input a command on her wrist unit and a 3D box displayed a headache worth of numbers. "Someone has managed to snap recent pics of our matriarch."

I recalled the image of my sister caught unaware in a moment of grief and bit back a growl. Someone had gotten _way_ to close.

She killed the feed and dropped her arm, "But why were you there, Danny?"

I hesitated and glanced down at my sister. I didn't want to upset her. With a frustrated sigh, I said, "One of your informants-" _A soon to be dead one._ "-sent me Uzkielle's last known coordinates."

Nina's eyes widened. I'm not a Yautja, but even I could hear her pulse slamming. "Did you find anything?"

I shook my head. Her eyes darkened, becoming bottomless wells of sorrow. I pulled her to me. Touched my forehead to hers. "I promise I'll find him," I whispered. She tucked her head under my chin and nodded.

"One of mine?" Zelda probed sounding puzzled.

I glanced at her, "Buusia."

Her grey eyes were cold honed steel. I loved Zelda and deeply respected her, but when I met her gaze, I warned her against going after the renegade. His blood was mine. Zelda, in turn, gave a curt nod of understanding.

Nina abruptly withdrew from me and lifted her arm. A message was coming through, she read it quickly then dismissed it with an aggravated sigh. "The Empress of Laavi is summoning me to yet another meeting. I'm all for this alliance, but that woman never wants to talk about anything other than her sixty-something and counting grandchildren." She rubbed a hand down her face. "Zelda join me when you're finished here."

Zelda nodded.

My sister glanced at me, worry creasing her brow, "You look tired." I got the sense she also wanted to make sure I was properly dosing but decided not to voice it to an audience.

I snorted, "And you look like a stick figure. Seriously you're practically two dimensional. Osh must need a diagram just to find where to put it i-" The air rushed out of me as I grabbed my stomach. Body armor or not, I felt the power of that punch. "Point taken," I managed a breathy chuckled. I straighten and touched her face. Then added more fervently, "Eat something woman."

A tiny smile curled her lips. She dipped her head in acknowledgment then left.

"You prologue her suffering with empty promises," Ry'kar snarled the moment Nina was out of sight.

"And you fucking hope that Uzkielle's gone so that you can take his place," I sneered. "Too bad Osh is still around ain't it? Otherwise, nothing would stand in your way right?"

Ry'kar snarled and faced me fully with mandibles flared.

"Enough," Zelda said in a deceptively calm tone.

Ry'kar growled but not even he was stupid enough to tango with Death's Kiss.

"Walk away," she said to him.

Ry'kar stared at me. And I could visibly see him reining in his desire to shed blood. We were brothers once. We'd fought side by side and survived our Chiva together. We played pranks on our sister Avamar who proceeded to beat us senseless afterward... every single time. We even uh... _commandeered_ our fathers' vessel for kicks and played the live version of Asteroids. And when Uz and Osh found out and wanted to know who came up with the boneheaded idea, we endured five excruciating days in the kehrite, but neither of us ever broke and told them it was Ava. But now... now there was no love lost between us and the short version of that was he had a problem with me being gay. I've never hidden it. And when I was fifteen, I figured out who I was. Unfortunately, I also saw my brother for who he really was too. And even after two centuries the prejudice bastard still wouldn't let it go.

Ry'kar dismissed us all with a snort and stalked down the hall in the same direction as my sister.

"You push him too far," Avamar chastised. "The next time might be his breaking point."

"And he is seriously deluded if he thinks Osh won't rip his head off for encroaching on his _and_ Uzkielle's territory," I snapped.

My sister trilled, her shoulders tensing, "Nina raised us as her own. But she is not Yautja. Not our blood. And that distinction is all Ry needs to separate her from mother in his mind."

"And blood isn't what makes family a family," I countered.

"Danny. Avamar. We don't have time for this argument right now," Zelda firmly admonished. "What's important is finding Buusai. Danny you and Auktano are going after the rat. I want to know everything he does."

I nodded and looked away from my sister. "We'll track him down."

"No need," she rotated her wrist and after a quick couple of taps, she sent coordinates from her unit to mine. "I've already located him."

"You scare me," I deadpanned.

She smiled, and there was nothing nice about it. "Remember that. Because once this is over you're going to explain how the fuck one of _my_ vessels got blown up..."

* * *

 **A/N: Hi! Hi! Quick recap here, so Ry'kar's a bit of a shit and gasp! he wants Nina! And Uzkiellie is... erm... uh... Moving on, Nina is sick from heartache making her vulnerable to attack. Auktano is a Bad Blood with honor. And Danny is... well, Danny. Assassinations. Double crosses. Family drama. Lmao does it feel like a soap opera yet? Haha! Yes, there are a few things I've left unanswered, but I will get to them. ;) Thanx, everyone!**

 **angel897: Love receiving your reviews! You're such a constant! Thanx :)**

 **TigrisRawr: Ugh, I know! My mojo got zapped! Lol, but I got it back ;D Thanx!**

 **guadadominguez4: Lol, thanx! I love him too! I'll try to add his POV more ;)**

 **Vakrian: Hehe, I answered a few but left a few as well. Lol, thanx for helping me stay focused on this one ;)**

 **Guest: Thanx :D**

 **Haylz93: I was waiting for someone to bring that up... more will be revealed as the story progresses. Promise. Lol, thanx ;D I wanted him to be pretty XD**

 **Tenfangirl: *happy dance* Yay! Chapter 3 was such a pain! I wasn't confident at all when I published it. You're review made my day- heck! my week! XD Thanx!**

 **HuntressQueen22: Awe, thank you! *smiles proudly* And of course! Lol, I don't think Danny could ever escape his sister XD I won't say (or spoil) who's all included in this story but most of the crew is back ;)**

 **sexyshewolf: Lol, nope! The gang is back! Flashbacks will be added, but Danny needs his big sister! Otherwise who else would nag him about adulting XD Thanx so much for the love!**

 **Dex-Halo Twitches: Danny's situation will be revealed as the story progresses. Promise. ;)**

 **aisaac5: Aaaaaah! Aisaac5, I thought I'd lost you! Yay so happy you're back! Thanx so much for the love! :D *happy dance***

 **Mortred101: No be happy! XD**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hunter Hunted**

"Tracker just went dead."

I heard the Rice Ball's tusks scrape together in response. The prospect of a more challenging hunt pleased him. Having been raised by the Yautja I wasn't bothered either, after all, anticipation would sweeten the end game. However, something about the timing bugged me. Zelda's trap and trace had worked like a charm up until two seconds ago... right after we'd submitted a request to dock at the Terminus. Coincidence? Ha! So why hadn't Buusai ditched his personal unit earlier? That's backstabbing one-o'-one. So he was either technologically inept, or he was confident we couldn't catch him.

"C'jit!" I dispelled the 3D layout of the space station with an aggravated wave of my hand. Jinx lifted her head from her paws and gave me a withering huff for interrupting her nap. Having learned my lesson the last dozen times or so when I accidentally (purposely) woke the cranky little cuss, I slinked my way over to the pilot's chair and decided to invade the Rice Ball's space instead. He was less scary.

"Safe bet that Buusai's on his way off station." I leaned against the side of the chair and crossed my arms. Even seated, the Rice Ball was still taller than me. _Cha. Stupid Yautja genetics._ Scratching my stubble roughened jaw, I continued to think out loud. "So I'm just gonna state the fucking obvious and say we're walking into a trap. This feels textbook bad guy plots for dummies shit."

"Ki'sei," he agreed in that mind-numbingly even tone of his.

I rolled my eyes. Annoyed beyond all reason at the Rice Ball, even though he'd done nothing wrong. Hell, he'd done nothing at all. So why the fuck was he irritating me so badly?!

"So how do you wanna play this?"

My unit chirped, distracting me. An internal diagram of my body rotated then stopped. The bio scanner highlighted the left side of my chest and a warning icon pulsed yellow in the corner of the screen. _The fuck? I dosed seven hours ago!_

"Cha," I scoffed and dismissed it. The timetable had sped up again which meant pretty soon the uh... medication would no longer have any effect.

 _Nina..._ My brows furrowed. _I've gotta find Uzkielle before-_

Observant blood orange orbs met my straying gaze. I'd unintentionally sought him out. My shoulders tensed. Two days ago when I'd bummed a ride off this rice ball, he'd scanned me. All Yautja do this when determining what is acceptable prey or before engaging an opponent. Most Yautja see my illness and don't consider me an equal... right up until I thoroughly beat the respect out of them. So I was not about to back down now. The skin at the corners of Auktano's eyes tightened. I dipped my chin out of respect for the superior predator in our unorthodox partnership, however, I did not drop his gaze. The hunter saw the resolution in my eyes and acknowledge my strength by returning the gesture.

"Vessel one-seven-two-four-two you are cleared to dock." Came the bored drumming baritone of a man who absolutely loved his job. I looked away, familiarity sweeping through me. _Deep voice. Dark sultry eyes. Blue hair._ I smirked.

"Eddie! How you been sweetness?"

There was a lengthy pause.

"Danny?... Danny LeBlanc?"

"The one and only," I chuckled. "What's say I be your one and only once your off duty, neh?"

"Danny."

"Yes, sweetness?"

"Stick it up your ass."

"Only if you oblige me..."

"Danny!"

"Yes?"

"Shut up before I redirect you into the asteroid belt!"

"Ouch. Is this about what happened with the Rivvin? Because I totally had that under control."

"Having my face nearly ripped off is control to you?!" There was a scuffling noise. Then the comm link dropped.

I winced. "Heh, I think I just got dumped."

Rice Ball growled, and my brows jumped at the scathing glare he shot me.

"What?! So we gotta contact Mission Control and get clearance again. No big deal."

He shook his head, " _Sss_ uckling..."

Aghast, I sucked in a breath then launched into an interrogation. "Who told you to call me that?! Was it Nina? No! Zelda! It was that devil woman wasn't it?!"

The Rice Ball tilted his head back just enough for me to catch something frightfully close to humor in his blood orange orbs.

"Careful, Rice Ball. Someone might think you have a personality under all that snow."

He looked away, "Krit..."

"Idjit!"

"Khos'vis..."

Somehow things spiraled out of control after I dropped-trou. What? I was only proving him wrong...

...

 _"Uzkielle is alive, Danny... I would've felt his death..."_ My sister's conviction played on a loop in the back of my mind. I believed her. Nina has this strange, otherworldly connection to everyone in the pack. And let's face it, she's a woman, so she knows _everything_.

So not wanting to incur her wrath or Zelda's for that matter, I did _not_ head for Eddie Yang's warm bed the moment the Rice Ball and I docked at the Terminus space station. I'd already cleared the docking area and spent several hours in the marketplace... fine, two hours, but in my defense, it's not like I went looking for Eddie. We just sort of bumped into each other... again. And again. And again. Needless to say, Eddie forgave me for the Rivvin incident. Hey, don't judge me! There's always time for love and war.

"Miss me?" I asked the Rice Ball as soon as the comm reconnected. To the shock of none, all I got was dead air. He'd be hard-pressed to answer me anyway being cloaked and all. 'Course in this day and age, the Yautja weren't exactly faceless monsters of myth anymore. Humans and any other species they've preyed upon knew they existed but they only ever saw one side of these efficient hunters. Regardless they were still Predators, and a Predator onboard a space station would cause widespread panic. Places like this didn't have a lot in the way of security, but certain districts had various checkpoints. Infrared detection was pretty standard now, however, unbeknownst to their prey, the Yautja have ungraded their active camouflage to scatter their heat sigs. The Yautja held fast to the old ways and clung to their anonymity. So I took the silence that followed as an invitation to keep talking.

"I feel like my forehead is begging for a bullet in this crowd." We could spend days hunting for Buusai. There were over thirty thousand people including three or four different species living on the Terminus. Not that I didn't mind a challenge, but I imagine whoever Buusai was working for had already informed him that his attempt to have me killed had failed. We knew he was still here, or at least his ship was according to Zelda's tracker. But if he hasn't fled yet, then there was a good chance he was waiting to be extracted. Walking through the street, out in the open like bleeding bait had not been my idea... frankly I think the Rice Ball was hoping someone would take a shot at me. "So am I being punished because I'm the pretty one? Heh, or is it because I proved you wrong when you called me dickless?"

Silence. Was it possible to feel annoyance over a frequency?

"By the way, I kept the comm open to the ship. Jinx is a sneaky little devil. Gotta keep tabs on her. You wouldn't happen to have any cn'tlip lying around would ya? Should've thought to warn you earlier." I chuckled, "She's a mean drunk."

 _Forgot. Intentionally failed to inform. Eh, semantics._

 _"Ny! Ny! Ny!"_ Jinx jeered in the background. I thought I heard an irritated grunt from the Rice Ball but couldn't say for sure as I exited the apartment district of the Terminus. The chaotic din of seedy life pulsed around me. Not a vacation spot to take the kitties this place. While there were a few good people like Eddie Yang (though honestly, he's no angel either) who managed to carve out an existence here, the Terminus was rife with mercenaries and home to some of the most depraved individuals you will never want to meet. No government could touch this place. Power was the law here, and the current reigning queen was a woman named Etienne.

"So for the last day and a half, I've tried to imagine how the hell you know Uzkielle and every single one ends with him losing his shit and killing you. He's um... not the most tolerant guy when it comes to Bad Bloods. Should've seen how he ripped into the fuckers who kidnapped my sister, Nina..." Awareness stung the nape of my neck.

 _Shit!_

A chem head ran into me. "Oi!" I grabbed his skinny forearm and used the distraction to my advantage and subtly scanned the mass of bodies around us. My gut told me there were eyes in the high-rise behind me, but I ignored the urge to look. I was at a disadvantage. If I spotted them they might feel inclined to take a shot at me, so I jerked the scrawny asshole in my grip around and put his back to the crosshairs. After a tense minute, the danger close feeling subsided. _Am I being paranoid?_ I didn't think so, yet it seemed awfully strange how nothing happened. Not that I wanted to eat a bullet mind you, I'm still full from Chinese thank you, but I'd forgone my helmet. And while I kept the lightweight body armor on, I wasn't buttoned up all the way. _Auktano_ _?_ I glanced at the decay gray high-rise. Even for a Yautja that would be pretty impressive. _Did he follow me to Eddie's?_ A gurgly-moan came from my impromptu meat shield. His head flopped from side to side, the sickly sweet scent of shiver on his breath. Damn, he'd inhaled it. The dude was so far gone his blown pupils had already started to crystallize. I released him, and he stumbled away. He was already dead, his body just hadn't caught up yet. Shiver is so powerful it crosses the natural protective barrier of the skin. It stimulates the pleasure center of the brain which is why it's so popular. But its side effects can be... erratic, not to mention lethal if inhaled.

 _What a waste..._

 _"...Danny! Danny! Wake up-" My sister appeared above me. She bent over me, touched her forehead to mine when I didn't answer- couldn't answer. Green eyes wide and furious, she turned to Ry'kar. "Uzkielle warned you two against going planetside! Why did you leave the Predator?!" My sister's voice broke. I've never heard her more afraid and angry in all my life. Ry'kar backed away, his eyes darting between us. Her attention snapped to my father. "Osh... Osh do something! Please don't let him die..."_

"Cha," I scoffed at the fragmented memory and started making my way towards the transport station. "I'll assume you're the reason our friend in the high-rise has lost interest." My unit chirped, and I'll admit I was slightly surprised to find the Rice Ball had pinged my location, and I got an echo of his in return. The indicator put him on the fifth floor of the high-rise. _Damn, he's fast._

"Awe, so you do care!" I chortled. This time the silence of the comm definitely felt ice, cold and sharp as a scalpel.

"I'll let you deal with our friend." Remember what I said about women knowing everything? Etienne probably wouldn't know Buusai from Adam, but she likely knew who pulled his strings. After all, what queen wouldn't know the happenings in her kingdom... a dead one... "Once you've had your fun meet me at Gemini."

...

 **Auktano**

The foul stink of hot piss and shit from the dead man's loosened bowels assaulted the air. A silent snarl lifted Auktano's mandibles, but otherwise, he ignored the offensive odor. As a hunter, he'd grown accustomed to the unpleasantries of death.

He crouched over the corpse, feeling vaguely annoyed at how quickly it ended. There weren't even any visible markings or wounds on the body at his feet. Auktano prided himself on being a master of the silent kill, a useful skill when surrounded by so many eyes and ears, yet at the same time, it left him deeply unsatisfied to kill someone so much weaker than himself. And young, he realized as he gazed at the face of an adolescent male. Auktano wasn't a good judge of age when it came to humans, but this one was still a few years shy of being mature. He grabbed the rifle laying askew beside the body. It was a long barreled sniper of some kind. Curious, Auktano stood and sighted through the high powered smart scope and slowly scanned the crowd. When he finally spotted Danny sliding into a transport pod, the targeting system outlined him in red and lit up. He checked the systems recognition setup, but Danny's biotag was the only one he found.

Auktano's mandibles clacked in thought as he set the gun aside. He was starting to think this had nothing to do with him at all, and everything to do with the Red Spectre. Whoever set them up to kill one another might've known Auktano worked with Zelda, but their intended target had always been Danny. Now the question was why? After spending only two days with the whiny male, Auktano was having trouble seeing the so-called Red Spectre as nothing more than fictitious ramblings. And yet...

 _"So how do you wanna play this?"_

 _Danny's unit chirped. Auktano hadn't been paying much attention as he breached the Terminus's firewalls in order to gain access to all vid feeds. A pathetically easy hack as no one who lived onboard the space station seemed to give a shit about security. But when the stillness of the male beside him became too much to ignore, his gaze dropped to the screen on Danny's cybernetic arm._ Some sort of early warning system? _he idly thought as he noted the highlighted arteries in the vascular system._

 _Sensing the weight of his attention, Danny suddenly locked eyes with him and Auktano did not see a dying man. The hunter saw a will forged of fire and stone. And when Danny acknowledge Auktano with a reverent incline of his head, the hunter realized in that moment Danny truly didn't see him as one of the scorn born. And in turn, he recognized Danny for the warrior he was..._

No one had ever shown him that level of respect before... Stepping away from the window, Auktano surveyed the dilapidated room and the trash littering the floor. It appeared to be mostly empty food ration containers and bottles filled with old urine.

 _So they were waiting for him._

And he knew for certain it was, in fact, _they_ considering there were at least two other strong scents engrained in the walls of the room. Aside from the boy, Auktano picked up another human male and... a charge of excitement sent his muscles dancing. The hunter took off his mask and dragged in another unobscured breath just to be sure.

 _Sei'i..._

The scent ignited Auktano's hunger. A ceruwolf. As he understood it, they were biologically enhanced humans engineered to mimic some great beast from their lore. A species whose predatory mind was every bit as ruthless as a Yautja's. He remembered well the utter savagery of the ceruwolf he encountered on Titan. The bite scars on his right shoulder tingled with the sensory memory and elicited a dark rumble of pleasure from the hunter. Finally, a hunt to sate his predator soul...

* * *

 **A/N: So as I've said all of my stories are in some way connected. Cerulves are from my other story Dances With Werewolves... yes, I know that story's unfinished, but I'm stuck on Danny's right now. Other characters from my other stories will be showing up too ;D Thanks, everyone!**

 **Yautja def:**

 **Ki'sei: Agreed**

 **Sei'i: yes**

 **C'jit: Shit**

 **Krit: moron (Non-cannon supplied by my friend V)**

 **Khos'vis: dickless (Non-cannon supplied by my friend V)**

 **...**

 **Vakrian: Lol, I think I fell off the ball again. But I'll try to balance myself ;D Thanx, V!**

 **Tenfangirl: Lol, I'm guessing that bit about Danny dying is what made your heart stop... then again, I threw quite a few bombs in the last couple of chapters and a couple in this one as well. No worries... okay, worry a bit (I mean this is Danny we're talking about), but all will be revealed ;) Thanx!**

 **sousie: Hehe, we shall see ;) Thanx!**

 **thefightingbull: YOU'RE BREAKING MY HEART! I had a hard time just thinking about Uz's um.. er.. death... It was Michael and T'arik, but I reveal more about them and Ry and Danny later. Promise! And no worries! Lol, I adore your reviews, but I understand you've got a life too ;) Thanx so much!**

 **aisaac5: Bwahahaha! You've got Uz pegged XD But I divulge nothing! Mwah! Honestly, even from the get-go of Can I Keep Him? I knew how Danny's life would unfold. He was just too young in Nina's story to really hint at anything. Thanx so much for the love!**

 **Mariah: Lol, thanks for reading :)**

 **Arbitrator11: Omg, not even sure where to begin XD Love your review, lol. All of your questions have an answer... but you'll have to read and find out ;) Lmao, glad you're enjoying my little soap opera. It truly is a thrill to read what you think! Thank you so much for reviewing and sharing your feelings with me!**

 **Valconwing: Haha, I'm right there with ya on the patient/impatience. I can hardly wait to share more! Thank you so much for the love :D**

 **angel897: Aaah! It's driving me mad not to share the whole Uz thing! Lol, glad you're enjoying the story, angel! Thanx! :D**

 **TigrisRawr: Lol, seriously who would be that stupid?! Mwah! But I reveal nothing! No real bonding in this chapter but there's still plenty of story ;) Thanx, girl! :D**

 **Haylz: Mwahaha! I divulge nothing! *sinister laughter* More on Ry and his issues later. He's a uh, tense guy. Ah! Thanx! I'm really enjoying building Auktano's character. :)**

 **Camui-Alexa: Wow! Where to begin, lol. Okay, I don't wanna divulge anything here so lemme just say I will go into detail about Danny's family dynamics. More on Auktano, more on Ry (he's a complicated idjit) and so on. I am absolutely giddy after reading your review! Thanx so much for sharing your feelings about the story with me! Stay awesome, Camui-Alexa!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Gemini**

"And then Revna fucking balls out walks up to the gaping mouth of the sleeping Hive's nest and _calls_ to the aliens using her freaky Jedi xeno mind trick..."

Idly listening to the nonstop verbal barrage of his strange companion, the hunter perched inside the chassis of a derelict war mech in the forgotten underground of the Terminus. He considered switching the comm off, but every once in a while he found himself drawn into the tales of Danny's past hunts.

Revna. He remembered her. Another one of humanities castoffs. A kiande amedha hybrid created by Weyland Yutani. Had she not been mated to a Hunt Master, she would've made interesting prey.

"... so what does she do?! She hops on a wind skimmer and leads the horde of xenomorphs right to the kandari encampment!"

Auktano's mandibles twitched at the rumbling laughter that followed. The Nracha Shur'ie was a strongly bonded clan, something the hunter knew very little about. Having been raised by a Bad Blood clan, the same ones who slaughtered his kin no less, he'd never felt a desire to form such ties. Now that he was a solitary predator, he ritualistically hunted and killed all those who'd had a hand in his upbringing.

 _"He is one of ours!"_

Ours... Strange how a single word could change one's entire perspective. Danny had claimed him as pack. Working with Zelda granted him protection from the clan, yet he never once considered himself to be part of it. Perhaps he should reconsider his harsh judgment of the obnoxious human.

"... it took him a minute to figure out he could only stick one in. Cha! That'll teach me for fucking a Kayzar blind drunk! Why does the male Kayzar have two cocks anyway? Not that I'm complaining. The dude went _all_ night. I should ask Zelda. She knows all that weird shit about the anatomy of other species... which I guess is useful information for a woman who can drop a rampaging Yautja by poking the right pressure point."

Did he say obnoxious? He meant insufferable! Auktano shook his head with a growl at the incredibly unpleasant mental image of the drunk za'ket being mounted by a Kayzar... the hunter paused. Piecing together various conversations he'd listened to over the last two days. Danny was a kal. More specifically a kal'ja. A male who prefers other males over females. He didn't find the revelation particularly interesting or relevant, but at least know he understood some of Danny's puzzling behavior.

Annoyance rattled in his chest, only now realizing what Danny had been doing with the other human male earlier. Had the hunter known, he wouldn't have waited around. But then again, the za'ket would be dead. Auktano's tusks clacked as he considered the possibility that the human's obtuseness was deliberate. Because surely no one trained by someone as utterly ruthless as Uzkielle could be so careless and survive this long.

"Oi! Rice Ball did you hear me? Hands off my baby sister got it! Ava decided not to go the traditional Yautja mating route and wants to find _the_ _one_. Cha... the one..."

Auktano made an insufferable noise in the back of his throat. What was he going on about now?! Did he not understand they were in the middle of a hunt?! Aggravated, Auktano killed the comm. He didn't have time for Danny's nonsensical dribble.

He took a collective breath and centered himself. Auktano relished the quiet, but the silence that had fallen gave the hunter pause. He scanned the immediate area but no heat signatures were detected. Not that it mattered. Like the kiande amedha, some ceruwolves could alter their body chemistry and adapt to the ambient temperature.

Despite his affinity for technology, Auktano preferred to rely on his natural senses. Scenting the enemy, tasting one's prey on the back of your tongue awakens a beast most primal. The hunter chuffed, mandibles spreading as the chemical receptors in the roof of his mouth picked up the ceruwolf's chemical tag.

A frisson of excitement corded his muscles as he readied himself to lunge. The ceruwolf might be able to hide his body heat, but he couldn't hide his scent. Of course, that was exactly how the ceruwolf had tracked him. Nothing could hide from a ceruwolf's nose. So the hunter used it to his advantage and drawn the other predator out.

A subtle click of claws- above! Auktano launched himself from his perch just as the ceruwolf dropped down from the struts overhead. Twisting himself around midair, the hunter landed with limber grace. The ceruwolf snarled and shook himself. On all fours, the ceruwolf would be faster, but Auktano was unconcerned for he was a Yautja and his strength was unparalleled.

The ceruwolf stood up on his hind legs and roared. A chuffing breath of excitement escaped the hunter. He took a step forward. Stopped. It had been a long time since Auktano engaged such formidable prey... _The Red Spectre laughed. Twisted and nicked the hunter's oblique with a boot knife. Made him bleed. Auktano couldn't even recall the last time he smelled his own blood. "S'matter snowflake? Ooman too fast for you!" the Red Spectre goaded._ A low throbbing growl reverberated in his chest. _Not prey..._ Auktano reminded himself and shook his head. Annoyed by the sudden intrusive memory of his first encounter with Danny. Even now when they were half a station apart, the human still managed to irritate him.

The ceruwolf bared his teeth and snarled at the hunter. Auktano's mandibles spread. He had to remember why he was here. He needed answers. And he needed them fast. But the hunt song was a firestorm raging through his veins, blinding him, and Auktano gave an answering roar and charged the ceruwolf...

 **Danny**

"Cha... the one..." A barking snarl cut off my rant, and the comm abruptly went dead. I stared at the animated smiling onigiri that marked Rice Ball's location and smirked, impressed he'd held out as long as he had. My sister would say purposely riling a Yautja wasn't the healthiest talent to foster... me thinks she has point, but when it came to the Rice Ball, I couldn't seem to help myself. Before heading into Gemini, I double checked his location and found him in the tombs of the Terminus. Strange place for him to be. Nothing down there but long-forgotten experimental war machines. The Terminus used to be a military outpost built before the xenomorphs invaded Earth only to be abandoned once humanity moved further into space.

 _He must be on the hunt._

"Cha," I scoffed. Irritated that I couldn't join him.

Outside the Gemini, its red faded walls barely contained the life pounding within. The heavy thump echoed inside me, and my lips quirked up in a predatory smile. Raised by the Yautja, I tended to treat every aspect of my life as a hunt. And a nightclub was just a different type of hunting ground.

Ignoring the line of humans, Kayzar, and the occasional cyborg, I sidled up to the bouncer. "Augi!"

The Tanazian peered down at me with his one good eye and snorted.

"Leave, Spectre," Augi rumbled. The guy's voice was as soothing as rocks in a blender.

No really, Augi loves me. Unfortunately, the thick knots of bone protruding from his skull only made it look like he was glowering at me. "You're right. Best not to keep Etienne waiting-" I started to sidestep Augi when he laid one big meaty paw on my shoulder to stop me. "-Oi..." I kept the smile on my face and my tone neutral. "... Etienne owes me."

The bouncer curled his lip at me. Tanazians are covered in bony plates, giving them natural armor. When you're built like a tank and can take a fifty cal at point blank range, I doubt a lone scruffy human half your size comes across as scary.

Augi's solid yellow orb lost some of its intensity, his grip subtly flexing. My smile broadened. Like my hunt sister Revna, Etienne was a telepath. Except, Etienne could work her crazy woo-woo shit on other species, not just xenos. And judging by the clenching of Augi's jaw, the queen said something that displeased him.

Augi released me and stepped aside with a snorty-grunt. "I look forward to the day she grows bored of you, and Thurg feeds your entrails to the Rivvins," he said. Malicious amusement evident in his harsh voice.

"Wow, second base and flirty banter! Stop it, Augi, you're making me blush!"

Still chuckling, I walked past the threshold into the heart of the Terminus. Inside my senses were assailed by the slamming music and the hypnotic dance of colored lights. My mind shifted, and when I stalked across the main floor through the mosh pit, I did so as the wolf in sheep's clothing.

On the other side, I found the bar and to the left of the bar was a set of stairs leading to private rooms and to the queen's glass-enclosed mezzanine over-looking the dance floor.

"Danny!"

Leena, Etienne and Thurg's baby sister manned the bar. Dimples popped at the peeks of her smile making her appear younger than her fifteen years. Her wide doe-brown eyes were kid at Christmas bright and way too innocent for a girl to be working for someone as cold-blooded as her sister. Golden hair fell in long waves down her back, offsetting her... blue skin? She flipped up the counter hatch and ran into my arms.

"Oi," I held her at arm's length, "you changed the pigment of your skin again."

"Thurg hates it," she winked.

"Then I love it!"

She giggled and literally skipped back behind the bar. "So what flavor are you after this time?" she asked. Leaning her elbows on the pristine counter.

"Hm," I planted my back to the bar and assessed the mass of gyrating bodies. "Got any onigiri?" I asked catching myself off guard. It came out far more serious than I intended. _Huh, i_ _diot..._ A sardonic chuckled escaped under my breath. Sighing, I glanced at Leena from over my shoulder and grinned when I saw the owlish look on her face.

"Isn't that a rice ball? Sounds a little plain."

"Sometimes plain is a good thing," I chuckled. "And sometimes what's on the inside surprises you."

"Uh-huh. Well, what about the strawberry tart you had last time? He's been looking for yo-"

I hopped the counter and ducked behind it.

Leena paused then laughed, "He's not here you doink."

"Phew," I stood up slowly, glancing around in case Leena was lying about the ill-tempered redhead. "Well, one crisis averted."

"I'll assume the next one is upstairs," she simpered. Cheeky brat.

Checking her orders, Leena's expression sobered as she started mixing drinks. "Sister's worried about something, Danny. But no one tells me anything."

Etienne worried? The woman could juice a man's mind with a mere look. What does she have to worry about?

"She's just trying to keep you out of the ugliness of her business."

Her expressive brown eyes narrowed, "I'm not stupid, Danny. I know what goes on."

I doubted that but said nothing. I had the big brother syndrome for this kid bad. So I often found myself irritated with Thurg for slacking on his big brotherly duties.

"If I figure it out, I'll let you know." And I would. So long as it wasn't anything that would get her killed. I remember being a kid and how much I hated it when Nina hid the important things in order to _protect_ me. This always backfires because kids are tenacious little buggers and eventually they always figure it out. The act of shielding can also hinder. I'm not saying Thurg shouldn't keep her out of the shit he and Etienne are knee deep in, I'm just saying he shouldn't pretend there wasn't anything going on at all.

Satisfied with that response she nodded. "So-" She set a tray of drinks at the edge of the counter for a waitress to grab. "-any good stories?"

I beamed. Leena loved my stories almost as much as I loved telling them. Fighting the Reav trolls with Rice Ball instantly jumped to the tip of my tongue, but I knew better. I couldn't talk about clan business. Moreover, we still had no idea who was targeting us, and I didn't want to bring Leena into it.

"Next time, love." I flipped up the hatch and stepped out from behind the bar. "I'm sure your sister is eager to see me."

"She likes you, Danny, but don't push it." Leena's brows pinched with something akin to concern. "And this time, don't give my brother an excuse to hurt you."

 _Oh, he can try._

Part of me hoped he would have another go at me, that asshat needed to be taken down a peg, but I wasn't sure Leena would forgive me if something happened to Thurg. Etienne wouldn't. And then Nina would be pissed if I started a war with Etienne... okay, _fine!_ I wouldn't hurt the krit.

"Wha? Me?" I walked backward towards the stairs to keep her in my sights. "I'm as sweet as a kitten!"

"Sure... if kittens were incredibly violent narcissists," she deadpanned.

"Ssssh," I winked. "Let's keep that between us."

She rolled her eyes and went back to tending the bar. I turned away. Smile gone and mind alert. Leena's concerns truly bothered me. There wasn't much that could scare a woman of Etienne's caliber.

 _What in the seven circles could spook the Cold Heart's, Void Witch?_

...

 **Auktano**

Fang and claw sank into the muscle of Auktano's forearm. The hunter roared, his mandibles spread in a fierce snarl as he grabbed the underside of the ceruwolf's jaw before the beast had a chance to violently twist and render the arm useless. Bent at the waist, he shoved his shoulder into the neck of the ceruwolf to get leverage and forced his fingers inside the other predator's muzzle. Wrenching with all his strength, Auktano heard a satisfying crack of bone. The ceruwolf let go of Auktano's forearm with a howling cry, his jaw broken and soaking the fur of his neck and chest in blood.

The taste of his prey's blood drenched the air, revitalizing his pride as a hunter and eliciting a roar from the Predator. He would have nain-desintye-de, the pure win. Without mercy, he grabbed the ceruwolf's scruff and threw the howling beast.

The ceruwolf crashed into the remains of an ancient crate, splintering it and sending up a plume of dust. Auktano panted, staring at the motionless ceruwolf hoping the fight hadn't left him yet.

A whine from the ceruwolf drew a rumble of pleasure from the hunter. He would claim his prize. Auktano stalked forward intent on taking his prey's head when his unit chirped. He ignored it. His unit chirped again. The rumble deepened into a frustrated growl when he realized it was Danny.

 _Pauk!_

That's right. He needed the ceruwolf alive. Cursing the human, he listened to the audio message the za'ket shot him after he denied the comm connection.

 _"Oi! Asshole! While I find your coyness wildly adorable, it's starting to get embarrassing! Listen, I know where Buusai is. I've sent you the coordinates. Meet me there when you're done playing around."_

A guttural raspy sound that might've been a laugh brought Auktano's attention back to the ceruwolf. Half slumped inside the broken crate, the ceruwolf stared at him with madness in his eyes. Auktano growled, understanding that the ceruwolf had heard what Danny said and knew something.

The clicking of his tusks echoed off of timeworn munitions and ravaged machines. Stalking closer, he loomed over the ceruwolf and growled, "S _sss_ peak."

Back claws scraping the solid ground, the ceruwolf tried to get up then slumped sideways with a keening howl when he could not. Drops of spittle and blood peppered Auktano's feet as the ceruwolf shook his head. Auktano could see the life draining from him, it would not be long now.

The hunter crouched, fascinated as the bones in the ceruwolf's muzzle shifted and slightly receded becoming more human. Auktano clicked his teeth together as once again the ceruwolf started to laugh. At the end of his patience, the hunter grabbed the ceruwolf by the throat. "Speak!" he snarled.

"Hu-ee," the ceruwolf gasped. Auktano loosened his grip enough for him to form coherent words. "Y-you're boy isss DEAD!" he spat. "... de Cold Heart..."

Auktano's brow ridge slammed down, tusks scraping. Rook the Cold Heart Kadrel. Danny was an insufferable za'ket, but even Auktano was having trouble understanding why someone as powerful as Kadrel would bother with him.

"...was never...ga.. extract Buusai..."

 _"So I'm just gonna state the fucking obvious and say we're walking into a trap..."_

Auktano's whole body jerked. Danny had been right. The za'ket was walking into a trap. Auktano clenched his teeth. Despite his irritating qualities, Danny was a capable hunter. He would be fine.

 _Warn him-_

Wet mocking laughter made Auktano stiffen. He glanced down at the ceruwolf. Mandibles flicking in surprise as he realized at some point he'd let go of his prey's throat and had gotten to his feet. Auktano was unsure why he'd done such a thing, but he hid his shock beneath a growl. The ceruwolf had outlived his usefulness.

Soundlessly, the blades sheathed inside his wrist unit slid out. The ceruwolf smiled at this. It was then that Auktano noticed the ceruwolf's arm inside the crate. A metallic clink echoed in the stillness. The ceruwolf laughed as he pulled a grenade from the crate...

 _Pauk!_

Auktano stabbed a command into his unit with a talon. The hunter turned. Bolted. Auktano was fast. His heavy clawed feet took flight across the ground... but the hunter was no match for the blistering heat and the pressure wave that slammed into him...

* * *

 **A/N: Ieeeee! Omg! That one was so much fun to write! Eeee! Next chapter is Double Cross! Thanx, everyone! Okay, so like I said all my stories are connected. If you guys didn't catch it before Iziel'dor and his mate Blake are from Punctured Souls and Other Black Holes (sorry bit of a spoiler there since I haven't finished that story either XP). Rook the Cold Heart Kadrel is also from that story. Revna and her mate Kasai'sa are from A Fangirl's Cracked Afterlife. Next chapter ties all of these characters together ;)**

 **Yautja Dictionary**

 **Pauk: Fuck**

 **Krit: Moron (non-cannon)**

 **Za'ket: Dimwit, Twat (Lol, my word so obviously non-cannon. I really just wanted Auktano to be able to call Danny a twat XD)**

 **Reviews:**

 **Vaukrian: Lmao did you like the strawberry tart bit? XD Thanx, Besty!**

 **Camui-Alexa: Haha, thanx! He really is a man-eater XD I'd say Auktano's a bit peeved at Danny once he realized what the idjit was up too. Lol, so many questions- I love it! Kind of helps keep me on my toes so that I leave nothing out by mistake. A few of those questions get answered next chapter. It'll also tie in characters from my other stories I mentioned in the A/N. Thank you for the lovely review. It made my spirit soar! :)**

 **angel897: And I love your review as always :)**

 **Tenfangirl: ... me thinks you should worry about Danny... ;) You're awesome, Tenfangirl! Thanx so much for the love!**

 **TigrisRawr: Lol, here you go! And now you'll wanna fry me for dropping you off that cliff XD**

 **aisaac5: LMAO! Mwah! I added a tad bit more innuendo just for you XD Danny's such a man-eater! Half the time I'm like "What the crap happened to the cute little boy?!" Ha! I'll be tying the characters I mentioned in the A/N into the next chapter. Thanx so much, Aisaac5! Stay beautiful!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Double Cross**

Gemini's pulse grew sluggish, muted by dampeners inside Etienne's glass throne room above the dance floor. The queen stood on the far side, her long raven black hair flowed in a braid down her back. Splashes of colored light swirled across her alabaster skin, the woman probably never spent a day in the sun, but the winding map of scars visible on her arms, neck, and face said a great deal about the monsters she fought in the dark.

Eyes closed, her soft almost child-like features tranquil, she looked to be in a deep sleep. But I knew better.

Thurg moved to block my path. The similarities between him and his older sister were prominent. Same raven black hair, his shorter and tied back in braids adorned with gold rings. They both shared a slim, yet strong build, though Thurg was thicker in the shoulders and chest. Life on the edge of space had hardened his boyish features and while he was still only twenty-something, he'd seen more war and death than most soldiers ever will.

Thurg's lip curled. His brown eyes, the same shade as Leena's, gave me a quick and dirty once over. Jeez, hit on the guy one time and somehow my sexuality invalidates me as a person. But I found Thurg's obvious disgust amusing. It's like the dude was worried he'd catch my gay or something. 'Course coming from a guy fucking his sister (the scary one, not the adorable one tending bar downstairs), I didn't take it personally. Beside's the dude needed to get with the times. Didn't he realize there was so much more to hate in the universe then how I take my sausage?

"I hate that I can't feel you inside me," Etienne murmured.

Okay, without context that came out sounding way creepier than how she meant it. Like the xenomorphs, Etienne's physically blind, however, her telepathy allows her to _see_. But because I'm 'mind blind', as my hunt sister Revna put it, Etienne couldn't get inside my head. Neither can xenos for that matter which is why Nina sent me to eliminate hive queens.

Etienne twisted, her eyes still closed and lips pursed thoughtfully. The silky grey dress she wore hugged her thin frame, her dark areolas straining against the translucent fabric. "Your mind may be closed to me..." Her dull brown eyes flashed open, unseeing and yet they always struck true. "... but I can feel a disruption in your Qi."

On nimble toes, she swept across the room, moving in the same wild, energetic manner as a xeno. Tension knitted my shoulders, but I remained absolutely still as her hands crawled up my back, touching my neck, tilting my head down to meet her flat gaze. "Indulge me, Ogre of Sol." _See now why couldn't that be my superhero name? It sounds way cooler than Red Spectre._ She leaned in. Whispered, "What haunts you?"

 _Haunt?_

She'd said haunt, not hunt. So we weren't talking about Buusai.

"Despair..." Her nails traced the tightly strung cord of muscle down my nape to my trap. "A cavernous heart so empty..."

I grabbed her hands and gently pulled them away. A demon's sympathetic smile gave me a glimpse of sharp, translucent teeth.

 _"The Cold Heart broke that woman in more ways than one..."_ Revna's warning rang in the back of my mind. Wey-Yu may have violated the laws of nature by splicing human DNA with xenomorphs, but Rook Kadrel engendered void witches. _"She's not right, Danny. Humans were never meant to see the things she's seen..."_

The void witch's sightless eyes flicked to mine. She might not have been able to hear the words, but she seemed to sense Revna on my mind.

On tiptoes, she rose up, her lips whisper-soft against mine and when the void witch breathed the secret I tried so very hard to hide into my mouth, a coldness unlike any I've ever known froze my insides.

 _Fuck me.. just fuck..._

I recovered. Putting up the mental shields Revna had spent hours teaching me how to construct, but not before Etienne saw the fluctuation in my Qi or whatever.

"Oi, does my soul energy say whether or not I'm compatible with an Aquarius? I've got this feisty-"

"Spectre," she hissed.

 _Dammit! Nooo! Go back to the cool nahehehame..._

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

I smirked. I swear women are easier to rile than Yautja and far more entertaining... 'course if we're talking about a female Yautja, well... then you're just dead.

She seemed to float back down on her feet. "I know why you're here," she bit out. The displeasure at my lack of interest in her game evident in her flippancy.

"Thurg."

Thurg approached at his sister's command. He held up a datapad and on it, I saw a vid feed of Buusai entering a run-down building.

"This was recorded in the warehouse district ten minutes ago," she said, face unreadable. "I know everyone aboard this space station, Spectre, and this one is not mine." Hatred forged from great pain changed the cadence of her voice to something... alien, "This one belongs to the Cold Heart."

 _Son of a..._ Now it all made sense. I thought it was rather convenient how quickly the kandari responded on Tassix 9. They must've been Kadrel's contingency in case I defeated Auktano, only what he hadn't counted on was us fighting together. Now he had to extract Buusai before I could find out exactly what information he leaked.

 _Damn it! I should've seen this coming._

Etienne's expression hardened. The woman was scary perceptive. Was this how Revna always figured out that I was the one stealing her sour apple lollies? Because my Qi ratted me out?! Stupid Qi!

"Kadrel hunts you..." Etienne circled me, and the feeling it gave me was the same as every encounter I've ever had with a hungry predator. "You stole from him..."

Like I said, scary perceptive. "Steal. Extricated." I shrugged, "Eh, semantics."

She was suddenly in my face. "It's not semantics, Spectre! It never is with that man!"

"And what would you have me do? Leave his daughter to face the same fate as you and Revna and all the others who came before?" My jaw clenched as the vivid memory took hold. Blake had managed to stay below her father's radar for a time by disappearing after the Wey-Yu lab she worked in got blown to shit. The woman had to 'die' in order to escape her father's cruelty. Only it turns out, Kadrel knew she was alive and the prick had simply been biding his time. I met Blake in her darkest hour, one of many as I would soon find out later. Her blood blanketed the snow. Her mate Iziel'dor fighting a pack of ceruwolves. Heavily wounded and occupied with two others, Iziel'dor fought to reach Blake before Alec, another wolf and Kadrel's second could _eat_ her. Not kill her. Just a hand or foot Blake said later. A way to keep her from ever running again. Yeah, I wasn't about to let that happen. I killed Alec.

Etienne took a step back. The horrors she'd been subjected too manifested in the harrowing expression that crossed her face. "No," she answered. Etienne walked over to the only chair in the entire room, a throne constructed from the teeth of all those who dared to defy her. She sat, crossed her legs at the ankles. "Leave, Spectre..." she hissed. "And take your war with you."

I dipped my head then left. Leena tried to get my attention as I came down the steps. I ignored her. I had to get out. Talking with Etienne always did strange things to my head. Being mind blind had its advantages, but somehow she still managed to worm her way under my skin and bring to light the one thing... _Blast it!_ I shook my head. It didn't matter.

Once outside the Gemini, I attempted to reestablish the comm link. After the third try, (Fuck was this what rejection feels like? So cold! Of course, this would only encourage me to try harder.) I sent a love letter in the form of a recorded message. Clearly, the guy was too shy to make the first move.

"Oi! Asshole! While I find your coyness wildly adorable, it's starting to get embarrassing! Listen, I know where Buusai is. I've sent you the coordinates. Meet me there when you're done playing around."

 _Cripes! The asshole acts like a jilted lover or something!_

...

 **Auktano**

"Li-Li-Listen-" Static hiss. "Listen-" Static. "Listen-"

An audio loop. Hazy red light. Blinking, the HUD in his opti-shields trying to reboot.

"OiOiOi-" Static. "Listen-"

The outside stimuli picked at the hunter's awareness.

"Wild-wild-wild-wildly adorable-" The whining hiss of static amplified the unpleasant ringing in his ears.

A crack ran through the left opti-shield and the screens continuously flickered, but the optical filters and the display didn't appear to be affected by the damage.

Mandibles flexing, he stretched out a tusk and tapped the reset on the inside of his bio-mask. The HUD cut out, and without the opti filters, his natural sight assessed the world in sharp, contrasting colors produced by the radiation an object or animal emitted.

He took a breath, and it hurt. Not an intense pain just a sharp reminder that had he not managed to activate his personal shields he'd be in the same condition as the ceruwolf. What was left of him anyway. Organic purple masses, some large some small dotted a sea of dark blues and black. Nothing breathed in the bitter underground of the Terminus. The only true source of heat came from above where life still beat. He took note of the rapidly cooling bits of meat and attempted to gauge how long he'd been unconscious.

 _Too long,_ he thought with harsh asperity. Annoyed that the ceruwolf's taunts about Danny had caused him to drop his guard. Then again, he hadn't thought anyone would be dumb enough to leave live grenades lying around on a bloody space station!

The HUD suddenly snapped back on and his eyes adjusted to a filter closer to the humans' spectrum. It left him somewhat at a disadvantage. His superior sight made it easy to track prey, but Auktano felt a lot of details were lost in the infrared.

"Oi! Asshole! While I find your coyness wildly adorable, it's starting to get embarrassing! Listen, I know where Buusai is. I've sent you the coordinates. Meet me there when you're done playing around."

 _Danny?_

The reset must've broken the audio loop. Auktano's blood-orange orbs narrowed.

 _Pauk!_

The fight reflex kicked in. The adrenaline rush slamming him fully into consciousness. Danny... what happened at the extraction point?

Auktano rolled. Shaking his dreads free of small debris and ceruwolf leftovers. Burning pain speared his left thigh as he surged to his feet.

"Pauk!" he roared. The shield had saved his life, but the immense pressure wave had knocked it out. Twisted metal gutted from his thigh. The curve of heavy muscle smeared with congealed blood and dust. The shrapnel had entered at an angle almost parallel with his body, so most of the metal was at the surface just under the skin.

Growling, he took a second to try and get Danny on the comm. Nothing. A red triangle flashed on his wrist unit. Damn. The blast had destroyed more than his shields. He checked the coordinates Danny had sent. A red dot pulsed over a warehouse in downside district on a 2D layout of the station. But the hunter had no way of knowing where Danny had ended up. He couldn't even track Danny's comp... no, not his comp, but perhaps he didn't need the comm at all. Auktano chuffed in amusement. Danny had tried to hack his system, and in turn, Auktano had done the same and succeeded. The hunter had even left himself a backdoor into Danny's unit and his cam which was on a separate system altogether. However since the vid feed was separate from the comm, he wouldn't be able to communicate, but he should be able to determine whether or not the za'ket was victorious in his hunt.

 _"... de Cold Heart... was never... ga.. extract Buusai..."_

A growl born of a sudden deep hatred rattled his tusks. Auktano had worked on several ops envolving Kadrel. The Yautja hunt for many different reasons: glory, honor, pride, mating, even pleasure but the way Kadrel hunted was no more indistinguishable to him than a Bad Blood. If Danny was outwitted by the Cold Heart, then the za'ket deserved death.

Danny's vid feed switched on. Auktano cocked his head, mandibles working as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. The hunter stiffened, gritting his teeth as he realized why the visual looked corrupted. There was blood on the cam. But whose? Danny shifted. He was on his feet. The cam swung to a figure on the ground. Buusai. The cam swung again. Auktano squinted. Something large was moving. Gently swaying. It's characteristics vaguely familiar as the huge shadow faced Danny. Auktano's blood-orange orbs widened as the hulking form registered. _Pauk-de paya!_ A snarl of outrage echoed deafeningly in the underground of the Terminus. There was no audio, but he didn't need it because he was certain Danny thought the same thing he did as the gunship opened fire...

* * *

 **A/N: Woo-hoo thanx everyone! Happy Holidays! Be safe! Spotlight: A friend of mine is posting on FF for the first time. Ghardeh: Black Angel by Vakrian is up on the site to read. Those of you who've read Can I Keep Him may remember my brief mention of Ghardeh. This is a story in the predator/alien universe with a kickass _female_ Yautja as the main. The story does contain a few of my characters from Can I Keep Him and its sequel Nina Look an Alien, but is not connected. Enjoy ;) **

**Vakrian: Lmao, I am sooo stealing that ass bandit quip! Thanx my friend! :)**

 **Tenfangirl: Lol, he must've spent too much time with asstards like Uz XD I plan on writing mostly memories of his time growing up. Maybe a special short story or two later on down the road. Thanx for the love! :)**

 **angel897: Thanx, angel :D**

 **aisaac5: Lmao then I take it as a compliment because Dean Winchester is freaking hot! XD Thanx so much for the love my friend!**

 **sousie: Haha! She totally would ;) Thanx!**

 **belladu57: Thank you :)**

 **Hero Of Cyrodill: Hope you enjoyed the update! Thanx for the review :)**


End file.
